


Subtitled Subtext

by Freedom_Shamrock



Series: MiraculousFluffMonth 2017 [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2017-08-01
Packaged: 2018-12-08 23:33:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11656986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Freedom_Shamrock/pseuds/Freedom_Shamrock
Summary: While learning to make cupcakes, Adrien licked some frosting off Marinette's cheek.  It's apparently step one of a plan he's following.





	Subtitled Subtext

**Author's Note:**

> This is a direct sequel to a Light in Dark Places (written for ML Fluff in November), and is the Miraculous Fluff month's Aug 1 prompt, blush. I apologize if I have to post some of these late. I'm spending the first several days of Fluffgust in an area with uncertain internet access.

Marinette felt the heat in her cheeks as she sat next to Adrien with her cupcake.  Stupid supermodel had licked frosting off her cheek.  Frosting he'd put there.  She couldn't be mad, and she wasn't really embarrassed, but the action had ambushed her with feelings she wasn't quite prepared for.  On one hand, she was pretty sure he knew full well what he'd done, and that it had been fully thought through.  Adrien Agreste wasn't allowed to be impulsive.  On the other, he'd been home-schooled until nearly three years ago, and there were times that rules of social engagement failed him.

"So what was the news' impression on the weather?" Adrien asked.  "Akuma or freak act of nature?"  He ran his tongue around the outer edge of his cupcake, licking off some of the absurd quantity of frosting he'd applied to it.  Marinette looked away and swallowed hard, her face going hotter.  

Alya grumbled.  "Just weather.  They even had all sorts of good sciencey explanations for it."

Nino laughed.  "She was  **so** disappointed.  Me, I'm all for not running around out in that."  He gestured to a window looking out on the dark street.  Streetlights were on, and visibility was severely impaired by the heavy rainfall.

"Yeah," Adrien agreed.  "Please don't go out in that.  I like you guys."

"You want to watch a movie or play a game or something?" Marinette suggested.

"No games," Alya said firmly.  "You two are too good; it's no fun."

"I vote movie, too," Nino said.

"Are any of you watching Ice Fantasy?" Adrien asked eagerly.

"Is it anime?" Alya asked.  Though she was a huge fan of comics, she'd proven very selective of her Japanese animation.  "I've never heard of it."

"Not anime," Adrien assured her.

"Is this that Chinese show you've been squealing over lately?" Nino asked.

"There are subtitles!" Adrien insisted before launching into his justifications.  "It's got strong female characters."  He glanced at Alya and Marinette, smiling and raising his eyebrows.  "It's got amazing fight sequences.  The music is this really neat mix of traditional Chinese and C-pop..  And…"  He beamed at Marinette.  "The  **costumes** , Mari.  You'd love them.  They're  **so** gorgeous."

Marinette couldn't help but laugh.  "I'm game, if it's okay with everyone else.  Going to need those subtitles, though."

While Adrien and Nino pulled the show up on the television's computer, Alya helped Marinette get popcorn and juice.  They'd been hanging around Adrien long enough to know he'd feel guilty later about all the snacks, so they had switched to something healthier than soda a few months back.

Once things were all set up, Marinette found herself sitting on one end of the couch, next to Adrien.  He smiled happily at her when she took her place, his cheeks looking just a touch pinker than normal.  Was that a blush?  No way.  Adrien did not blush.  She pushed the distraction aside as the first episode started.  Between ogling the costumes, which Adrien was totally right about, and keeping up on the subtitles, she was fully absorbed in the show.  She was vaguely aware of her parents coming upstairs, of her mother asking who was staying for dinner.  There were responses, but she didn't pay much attention to them.

When the second episode had ended, Adrien tapped the remote to stop the streaming.  It was only then that Marinette realized the rain had dropped to a sprinkle.  "So what did you think?" he asked, looking at his friends and Marinette's parents who had taken up residence on some stools from the kitchen.

"It's lovely, Adrien," her mother said.  "How did you come across it?"

"My Mandarin tutor recommended it," he explained.  "He said that watching Chinese TV is going to do more for my vocabulary at this point than just talking with him."

Marinette blinked a few times, her gaze pointed up at him.  "Wow.  That  **was** really good.  Though, now I'm going to need to watch the rest."

"I hate to break up the party, but I have to head out," Alya said, getting up from the couch.  "I need to get dinner started for my mom."

"I'm on my way, too," Nino said quickly.  He gave Adrien a look that could only be described as significant.

Adrien was definitely blushing now.  "Yeah, yeah."  He made a shooing motion that didn't seem to have anything to do with Nino's statement.  "My ride should be here soon."  He held up his cell phone, indicating he'd been sent a text about it.  He pushed himself up.  "I'll walk down with you guys."

"You want company while you wait?" Marinette asked.  

"Yes," Alya answered for him.  "He does."

"It would be nice to talk to you a bit more," Adrien said, doing his best to ignore Alya, but his cheeks were somehow beyond pink now.  "Maybe we can figure out when we can watch some more of Ice Fantasy?"

"That'd be great."  Marinette nodded.  "I'll be back in a few minutes to help with dinner," she told her parents.

"No rush," her father said calmly.  "Be a good hostess for now."

Alya and Nino had raced down the stairs, and were shouting farewells over their shoulders by the time Marinette got there.  "Well  **they're** not being weird or anything," she muttered.  "Do they have a date or something?"

Adrien shook his head and resettled his messenger bag on his shoulder.  "Umm… I think they're giving us space."  He fiddled with his ring.

Marinette caught his hand.  "Space?  Is everything okay?"  

His blush had started to fade, but her questions appeared to reignite it.  He nodded.

Was something wrong?  Did he have big news or, worse yet, bad news?  He sometimes had to travel for weeks at a time.  "Did you… is there something you want to tell me?"

God he was adorable with that much red in his cheeks.  And his ears!  He blushed to the tips of his ears.  "Yeah."  He squeezed her fingers, but didn't let go as she half expected.  "You… you're amazing, Mari.  You know that, right?"

Oh dear.  He was bringing her right into his festival of pink cheeks.  "Thanks."

"I mean it," he insisted.  "You're crazy talented, and you know how to do so much.  You're brave, and supportive, and you're super pretty."

"Oh!" she managed to gasp before her voice stopped working.  Was he doing what she thought he was?

"And… I really like you," he said with a nervous smile that never showed up in his modeling portfolio.

"I like you too," she managed to blurt out, though her voice sounded thin and reedy.

He shook his head a little.  "I… don't just mean as a friend."

"Me either… er… me too."  No no no.  She didn't want to return to the stuttering mess she used to be.

His smile was amazing, like a happy ray of sunshine.  "Really?"  He seemed genuinely surprised.  "Um… so, would you maybe want to go out with me sometime?  We could do dinner and a walk by the river… or... is that too cliche?  I have no idea what I'm doing."  He bit his lip and rolled his eyes.  

Marinette tightened her grip on his hand, not minding the tint in her cheeks anymore.  "No… I  **mean** , it's  **not** too cliche.  It would be wonderful.  I'd love to."

**Author's Note:**

> 30 minute speed write.


End file.
